Position: #12

Porsche, legendary for its innovative and beautiful automobile design, continues to deliver in almost every dimension. In 2014, Porsche increased car sales about 17% in all regions and on all markets, not least because of the Porsche Macan, the new sporty compact SUV, which became popular in the world in last year. A hiring increase of 15% and high development efforts in the past year also demonstrate that the company is optimistic about future growth. With the introduction of the Macan in the luxury compact-SUV segment, Porsche has also expanded its customer base. The company is now on its way to reaching its goal of selling 200,000 cars, two—or even three—years earlier than its target date of 2018, a significant step in its aim to become the world's most successful manufacturer of exclusive sports cars. On top of all this positive news, the brand is securing leadership in technology. The Panamera S E-Hybrid, the first-ever luxury plug-in hybrid, the 918 Spyder, and the 2015 Cayenne are first-to-market products in their competitive landscape, underscoring Porsche's "Intelligent Performance" brand promise of combining driving pleasure with efficiency. The rollout plan for 2018 includes a smaller version of the Panamera and a USD $250,000 sports car to challenge Ferrari's 458 Italia. This plan highlights Porsche's strategy to expand the brand on both ends of the price-sticker spectrum. In terms of responsiveness, Porsche effectively anticipates trends on the demand side in 2014, as demonstrated by an increase in sales of 19% at 36,000 cars in China. To strengthen its relevance as a real sports car brand, Porsche reentered Le Mans in 2014. Although Porsche did not come first in the LMP1 category of that race, it looks well placed in the branding stakes. As one of the brand's latest online campaign puts it, "There is no substitute."